marx. "don't mean nothing." it doesn't mean nothing until you sign it on the dotted line. as a professional journalist, you get told a lot of things by a lot of people. and it really doesn't mean anything until there is documentation, a contract. doesn't mean anything actually it is actually happening, to take those words with a grain of salt and wait for whatever it is they are pitching to ka pit you'll i capitualize. >> life lessons from richard marx. >> "starting point" with soledad o'brien starts right now. good morning, welcome, everybody. the "starting point," how did it happen. hundreds die inside a burning nightclub in brazil. today we learn the cause of the fire, all too common.

plus, the ultimate exit interview. break down the conversation with president obama and secretary of state hillary clinton. why the president says if he had sons he would have to think long and hard before he would let them play football. crying foul over this one. the cost of your super bowl party is going to go up. start planning and budgeting now. first, golden globes, now s.a.g. awards. why it could lead to big drama at the oscars. >> we'll talk to steve israel, thomas mack mccarty and star of the "walking dead" will be joining us. monday, january 28th." starting point" begins right now. welcome, everybody. we begin with a developing story this morning. the funerals under way for some of those killed in the horrific fire that took place at a brazilian nightclub. half of the victims, 231 of

them, were students, all from the same university, celebrating their last weekend of summer break. called the kiss nightclub, located in santa maria. recovery workers are hearing the sounds of ring tones as those looking for loved ones are hoping they will pick up the cell phones. shasta darlington live with the latest for us. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, soledad. that's right. right now, over at the cemetery, the funerals have started. and i'm right here in the center of town, a few steps from the nightclub, kiss where this tragedy happened yesterday morning. very early, of course. right now, the investigators are inside. looking for more clues about what caused this fire. there has been a lot of talk about the pyrotechnics display. right now, they don't want to go into any details. they would rather continue and complete the investigation before they confirm anything one way or another. but as you can imagine, this is

a small city. a college town. four universities. people are in shock and mourning, soledad. >> shasta darlington, thank you for the update. we'll continue to obviously monitor what is happening with that story. a little later, we'll talk to todd king, you might remember in 2003, the similar fire at the station nightclub in rhode island. he was a survivor of that fire. we'll talk with him in a couple of minutes. barely a week or so into the second term and a very busy one for the president many he sat down this weekend for a joint interview on "60 minutes" with outgoing secretary of state hillary clinton. kind of interesting. they really seem to like each other. you might remember, they were bitter rivals, but seem tone joy sitting next to each other. implementing each other over and over. today the president and vice president will meet with police chiefs and sheriffs from around the country to talk about how to deal with gun violence. the president will launch his

gun violence initiative. brianna keel ar joins us with more. >> reporter: this was an interview taped at the white house on friday. aired last night on "60 minutes." in it, president obama and secretary clinton really appeared to have genuine affection for each other, they talked about their rivalry and 6 2 2016. president obama and secretary of state hillary clinton, once bitter rivals, now allies. >> i consider hillary a strong friend. >> very warm, close -- i think there is a sense of understanding that sometimes doesn't even take words. we have similar views. >> reporter: rewind five years to their bruising primary battle. >> are you likeable enough. >> i'm here, he is not.

>> i can't tell who i am running against sometimes. >> how long did it take to you get over it. >> not as long as people perceive it. >> it took longer for their staff, not to mention -- >> i think spouses take it much harder. >> reporter: 2016 came up. the president laughed off a question to endorse clinton. >> it was literally inaugurated four days ago and you are talking about elections four years from now. >> reporter: and the secretary side step. >> and i don't think, you know, either he or i can make predictions about what will happen tomorrow or the next year. >> reporter: clinton, who recently suffered a concussion and blood clot and is wearing glasses for double vision, answered a question about her health. >> it's great. it's great. i still have some lingering effects from falling on my head and having the blood clot, but doctors tell me that will all recede. thankfully i'm looking forward to being at full speed.

>> reporter: soledad, this was not the only interview, at least for president obama, where we learned a little new about him. he sat down with the new republic and talked about politics here in washington, and also talked about gun violence and talked about football, and some of the injuries that we've seen from representative concussions. he says i'm a big football fan, but i have to tell you, if i had a son, i'd have to think long and hard before i would let him play football." soledad. >> thank you, brianna. we'll talk with steve israel, and jack crow,e. we want to run those very comments that brianna was mentioning by him this morning. other stories making news. john berman has that for us this morning. a snowy, icy, rainy, sloppy commute for millions of americans this morning. the storm that coated the midwest in ice yesterday is heading north and could bring snow, freezing rain, and sleet.

not a lot of fun to the northeast today. flights in and out of chicago, minneapolis, and st. louis were grounded on icy runways and check this out. firefighters shippi chipping a hydrant. frozen in time. new york went seven days without temperatures cracking the freezing mark. a live look at the storm that will hit many of us today. >> not talking about bitter cold temperatures we saw last week. headed out the door, from parts of the upper midwest to the mid-atlantic, we are dealing with some freezing rain out there. just see to the west of altoona, as well, some snow. this will continue to be the feature as we go through the morning hours and into the afternoon. now, if you are driving along interstate 95, we had a last report of freezing rain in dulles. notice for yourself, warm air is winning out and those temperatures will continue to climb, above freezing, i think through late morning as well as the afternoon for some parts. for areas like new york, as well

as new england, we'll see a mix of snow, as well as freezing rain at times. warmer temperatures on the rise. notice for washington, d.c., today a high of 55. and by the end of the week, we'll see cold air once again return. john, that means we'll see a serious threat for severe weather tomorrow and wednesday, and the possibility of tornadoes, as a strong line of storms moves toward the east. john, we'll following that. but the weather crazy right now. >> severe weather watch for us tomorrow, thank you very much. a bipartisan plan from the senate's so-called gang of eight being unveiled today, which offers a path to residency and even citizenship to many of the estimates 11 million immigrants in the united states unlawfully. it calls for an effective employment verification system that prevents identity theft and would end hiring unauthorized workers. in the next hour, two congressmen working across the aisle on immigration reform.

mario diaz-balart and luis gutierrez. mohamed morsi has declared a limited state of emergency in the wake of recent violence in egypt. and more action is possible. violence has broken out since friday. and representatives of 11 political parties are meeting today to address problems in egypt to avoid expressing anger like this. a big night for some of the biggest names in hollywood. anne hathaway among the winners for her supporting role in "les miserables." "argo" really stole the show. it won the night's biggest prize. we'll go live to los angeles for a morning after look at the highlights from the s.a.g. awards. everyone said "lincoln," but

"argo" walking off with the awards. >> how about anne hathaway's dress? she looked great. back to the tragic nightclub fire in brazil. it shares a lot of similarities with the 2003 nightclub fire that happened in rhode island. 100 people were killed. happened after pyrotechnics went off during a concert. also overcrowded. todd king survived that fire at the station nightclub, which is where it happened. he's with us this morning. todd, are you there? >> good morning. >> good morning, nice to see you. just checking. let's take me back to when you first heard what happened in brazil. what went through your mind? >> i was really in shock that something could happen this way again. survivors from the station nightclub fire, we're a tight nit group and yesterday morning, my phone was going berserk. couldn't figure out what was

going on. first thing i saw when i turned on the tv, i actually thought it was replays from 2003, someone was doing a story on it or something, that eerie. >> and that similar. so many similarities if you look at -- well, walk me through some of them. certainly pyro tech knicks one of them. >> yeah, i can't believe someone has actually done that in a crowded nightclub again. but also the way that people could not get out the doors, stampeding, the look on people's faces, just the panic, trying to help people get out and the hopelessness of not being able to get out in that situation. >> reporter: i know you were dealing with a terrible bottleneck. everyone trying to get out. they were blocked or they couldn't go out the front door. too many people trying to get out a narrow space, and also the overcrowding, looks like this nightclub was holding way more people than it was supposed to.

but the club itself, put out a statement, a part of their statement said this. we're open to all authorities and inspections, all the fire systems were approved by the fire department. adequate and necessary to provide the safety of the nightclub and its patrons. although there were also reports that the club's license expired in august and had not been renewed. a local fire official said that. what did you learn from the fire in 2003 that was less about regulations and inspections and more about what to keep an eye out for, what to do when something like this happens? >> well, from my point of view going back into a crowded area, i always look to see where the exits are and how i'm going to move or create if something does happen. it's really frustrating, where you try to fight the anger when something happens this, and you see 100 people die in front of you needlessly.

every place that serves alcohol should have sprinklers. it's just good common sense. going to ply people with alcohol and have people in your business, putting a large amount of people together, common sense would be you are responsible to keep them safe. if there was a sprinkler in rhode island if there were sprinklers at this club, you wouldn't be talking to 233 families telling them their loved ones or dead or the hundreds in rhode island, that their brothers, sisters, didn't come home, and the survivors and the catastrophic injuries we've seen people overcome in the last ten years, it's heartbreaking. heartbreaking we have to do this again. >> still investigating, but there were reports that exits weren't marked that the doors were not available to open. people weren't trained working the doors to really know. >> todd, survivor of the station nightclub fire. thank you for talking with us. we appreciate your insight.

>> thank you. still ahead, we'll cover president obama and hillary clinton's sitdown. we'll speak with steve israel. he'll send the secretary a virtual thank you card. looking forward to seeing the super bowl ads, an exclusive first look at a brand new one. business news today as well. >> important economic impact of hot wings. bad news for anyone planning a super bowl party. hot wings prices. what is driving the economic phenomenon? i'll tell you, after the break. one.

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apple fallen 37% from its all-time high in september. a lot of folks wondering if a little shine offer the apple. keep selling quite so many high-margin products. if you like chicken wings, your super bowl will cost you more. the drought in the midwest drove up the price and corn, and corn is used to feed chickens. mcdonald's in certain cities, the fast food giant been testing the mighty wing. it's own take on the super bowl staple. if mcdonald's rolls it out widely. there will be more pressure, because there will be more demand for wings. >> hot wings, i thought she really was talking about aerodynamic issues, not super bowl food. good to know. >> team joining us -- i'm just telling you. talking about will cain, cnn

contributor, charles blow and chris john farley, senior editorial director of digital features for "the wall street journal" and writer for the speak easy pop culture blog. a long, long title. we need an acronym for that somehow. >> a windsor too. >> his royal highness with us. we'll talk about hillary clinton. will she add president to her hefty resume in 2016? an interesting, rare joint interview with the president and hillary clinton, secretary of state on "60 minutes. talked about a possible run and an endorsement of any kind. let's listen in. >> you guys in the press are incorrigible. it was literally inaugurated four days ago and talking about elections four years from now. >> i don't think either he or i can make predictions about what

will happen tomorrow or the next year. >> they both dodged that question, didn't they? right to congressman steve israel. democrat from new york. nice to have you back us with. we heard the president call the media incorrigible. one of the reasons, we want to look toward 2016, of course. how much do you think of that interview and the questions and the two of them sitting there together was about 2016? and the future for ril hillary clinton? >> no, i think that interview displayed the fact that the relationship between secretary of state and president obama is extraordinary and unique and it also showed something else to the american people that the american people wanted to see and that is two former competitors who figured out how to put whatever difference these had aside and learn how to govern, move on, and take the country forward. that's a lesson i wish many

colleagues in congress would learn. >> hillary talked about the people who are often most sensitive after time are the spouses and the staff members. a little bit about what the president said about the staffers. >> hillary mentioned part of our bond is we have been through a lot of the same stuff. and part of being through the same stuff is getting whacked around in political campaigns, being criticized in the press, you know, we've both built some pretty thick skins. >> um-hum. um-hum. >> sometimes our staffs don't go through that, so they are taking umbrage and offense. >> have you seen the staff able to move past the slights and hurts or move past the umbrage? >> i have seen it a lot.

if you you are an elected official, you develop a thick skin. but the staffers and families, they take it very personally. >> like, really, who on the staff has had a hard time. i want to talk specifically. >> if you are a staffer, you are paid to be protective of the boss. and so i cannan understand that they -- you know, they would interpret things slightly higher, more intense level. here is the thing. you do have to have a certain personality. i have seen hillary clinton walk into a town of babylon veterans barbec barbecue, embrace 9/11 families and then walk into the united nations and negotiate stiffer sanctions on iran. wherever she is, she has been tough. but at the same time, able to demonstrate elm pa hooe and compassion and that makes her unique and as special as she has been and will continue to be. >> we have you over the next

commercial break. stick around. we'll talk about what paul ryan had to say, comparing what the secretary of state could have done versus the president himself. we'll do that conversation right after the short break. back in a moment. ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] something powerful is coming. ♪ see it on february 3rd. ♪

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>> we're back with congressman steve israel, democrat from new york. let me play what paul ryan said. he was on "meet the press." this was interesting about a clinton presidency. >> look if we had a clinton presidency, if we had erskin bowles, i think we would have fixed this fiscal mess by now. that's not the kind of president we are dealing with right now.

>> let's fast forward to 2016. does that circle back around if he finds himself up against clinton running for president? >> you can go forward, you can go backward. paul ryan, i would remind him in the clinton presidency in the 1990s that newt gingrich and the republicans shut down the government. it's exactly what's wrong with washington. the president was inaugurated one week ago, and paul rye hahn as given him the shortest honeymoon in history. name calling and vilifying and attaching blame. can we just talk about solutions rather than engaging in the name calling? the country would be much better off if we could do that. >> let's talk about the senate immigration plan being forwarded. a number of proposals on the table. they want to secure the border,

modernize and streamline the current system and create a tough but fair legal zigs program for individuals who are here. i have to imagine the list, right in front of through, that last one will be the sticking point, right? that has always been the problem. do you think this is something that that k go through at this point? >> i'm optimistic. a little early for optimism. i am optimistic we can find common sense reforms, based on certain premises. one, that there needs to be a path to legalization. earned citizenship for people who came against the law. number two, that we've got to secure our borders and have additional enforcement. number three, that while we're being tough, we're also being compassionate with people who can help our economy. and we can get critical mass, don't expect every single republican to join us. as long as we can get critical mass, i think we can get this

done. house democrats want to find solutions, the right kind of compromise. need someone to negotiate with. as long as this republicans will come to the table and reject the my way or the highway negotiating strategy, maybe we can produce a compromise for the american people that make sense. >> congressman, thank you for being with us. thank you. still ahead this morning, the president says if he a son, he's not sure he would let him play football. we'll speak with former college football coach jack crowe, when we come back. twins. i didn't see them coming.

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welcome back. you're watching "starting point." the president says football is too rough. and if he had sons, hypothetically, he probably would think twice about letting them play. we'll talk with former college football coach jack crowe about that, and a plig night in

hollywood. could predict the oscars. a complete wrapup of winners and losers, live from l.a. first, though, john a look at the top stories. good morning. >> u.s. state department condemning an iranian court for sentencing an american christian pastor to eight years. we condemn iran's continued violation of the universal right of freedom of religion and we call on iranian authorities to respect mr. abedini's human rights and release him. the husband and brother of a woman missing in turkey for more than a week are on the way to istanbul to find her. the woman was traveling alone to fulfill her photography dream. she was to fly back to the u.s. on january 22 know. her passport and medical documents were found in the

istanbul hotel room. friends and family created this website to help tracking her down. some of hollywood's biggest names can add s.a.g. award winner to their impressive resumes. screen actors guild awards saved one of the biggest surprises for last. michelle turner joins us now it's all about "argo." >> a lot of people thousand "linco "lincoln" wod take home the best picture trophy. but ben affleck and his cast of "argo" said not so fast. actors, actors, everywhere. it was about union in every way. both lead actress winner, jennifer lawrence and anne hathaway who won supporting actors honors talked about getting their s.a.g. cards at age 14. >> it felt like the beginning of the world. i loved every single minute of

plif as an actor. >> lots of love for "30 rock." tina fey won her fifth trophy, and alec baldwin, his eighth. and "modern flaamily" praised "e rock." >> and camaraderie topped the examination. "downton abbey" praised ho "homeland" and "boardwalk empire." and dick van dyke was honored with a lifetime achievement award. >> this very heavy object here means i can refer to you as my peers. >> reporter: best actor winner daniel day-lewis quick to share credit with the entire cast of lincoln. >> i have no doubt that this is an ensemble award.

>> reporter: the actual award went to "argo." adding that prize to golden globe and producers guild awards. ben affleck praised his cast and everyone. >> they wanted to kill it to make the movie better. what actors do all over the world of day. thank you for making the movies and television you make. >> think i ben affleck is starting to think about what oss ar snub? who needs a nomination? with t with the award season he is having so far. bryan cranston won for "breaking bad." and daniel day-lewis, he seems to have a lock on the best actor oscar, because the last eight s.a.g. award winners, best actor have gone on to take the academy award as well. little nug heet.

>> reporter: thank you very much. maybe the beard is a good luck thing for ben affleck. >> settle down, will cain with the scraggly beard you have got. >> he wins best picture, best director, best ensemble. what's wrong with the oscars? >> we'll see. a wide ranging new interview with president obama in "the new republic." when asked about football, he said i'm a big football fan, but i have to tell you, if i had a son, i'd have to think long and hard before i would let him play football. you read some of these stories about college player whos suffe these concussions and have nothing to fall back on. jack crowe, former executive director of the american sports medicine institute. nice to have you with us. appreciate your time. >> thank you, soledad. >> you're in an interesting position as a coach and someone

involved in medicine and science and you have -- have you sons -- do they play football? what kind of thoughts do you have about them playing football? did you worry every moment they were in the game? >> not every moment, but as parents, you always follow the risk and as long as you feel like they are well supervised, i think youth sports is different than college and youth football is different from college football. different from pro football. they played in high school, and i understand the president's concerns, and he's qualified by saying as a parent. well, that's where the grassroots people are. it's in the communities, at that level, i think those risks are really probably the ones that education and research -- those guys are coaching at that level don't have a course for care and prevention of injuries. that's the level i worry about. >> tell me about the very first game you coached. you had a kid who died. he died. what happened? >> well, he didn't my for our

team. first game i coached was in oxford, alabama. played the school up the road, jacksonville high school. and there was a player, his name was speedy canon. actually, you walk into jacksonville high school today, the first thing on the wall at eye level is a jersey, 21, with the name canon on the back of it, and the first game i ever coached in, we were down 28-7, and we couldn't tackle speedy. he just -- we finally wore him down, and we hit on him a lot and football is about hard tackling. and he was apparently fine, but he did finish the game. he turns around plays the next week, sustained a head injury and dies almost immediately. he had had a concussion in our game. it wasn't recognized. it's the return to play.

it's the second -- it's the residual effect of the contact after the first concussion is had and that's diagnosic, that's where a coach has to either have a doctoror have the training. soledad, this is really about how we're training our coaches. >> so the president seemed to indicate that, you know it would be the ncaa's area to be more on top of this. he talked about how he worries less about the nfl. have a union, grown men, but it's really the college players, do you think that's right. the ncaa could handle that? >> i don't think the ncaa is the approach. i think they have to have a role in it. but the ncaa is a litigious body. this is an issue of coaches and the support they have. either trainers or doctors themselves. about who is at practice. games get covered by medical

specialists, but the majority of these things happen at practice. so i think the ncaa should have a role, but it's time for a new coalition of which the ncaa ought to be a part. but to say that they should be the lead in this, i can give you -- nca just rescinded five years of rules they had built. they finally realized that there was too much bureaucracy there to go for medicine and coaches to go through the ncaa. 40 years with the ncaa. there are organizations, medical organizations and there are coaching organizations that could come together, along with the ncaa and make sure that at least we do, you know, know the risks for the athletes out there. >> jack crowe, nice to see you, sir. thank you. >> thank you, soledad.

still ahead on "starting point," secretary clinton, president obama, side by side. very chummy, laughing through the entire interview, and addressing a 2016 run and maybe an obama endorsement? we'll dig into that in a little bit. plus, we'll tell you how volkswagen plans to top the mini vader ad that was so popular. a look at their much anticipations ad. tim mahoney will enjoy and unveil the ad for us, here. back in a moment. ...$10 off any turbo tax deluxe level software or higher! find thousands of big deals now... ...at officemax.

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well, it's the exit interview everybody is talking about. hillary clinton, the president, sitting down together, laughing, chummy chummy as they spoke about their shared vision for the nation and why they were doing this. what do you think? right to will cain, because i love you so. what do you think is behind all this? >> i'll take it at face value. the president wants to thank hillary clinton for four years of service, and well he should. this was a coming together, coming out of a heated primary. setting up hilary clinton four years from now? joe biden, hillary clinton.

who will he endorse? >> people say thank you all the time, don't sit down and do a rare interview on "60 minutes. on ." >> i thought it was a good sendoff for hillary clinton. the last time i saw president obama do a joint interview, he was with michelle obama last time i saw hillary do a joint interview, she was with bill. >> what am i missing? >> not sure they are cynical. >> taking it at face value. the face value this is extraordinary. a president doesn't do a sit-down interview with a member of the cabinet. >> i think it helped her coming out of the benghazi hearings, number one. number two, hillary touched on something that i think people kind of laughed you off, the spouses take it harder, and that is a direct reference to bill clinton. bill came up. >> that's what she said. >> having been a spouse and a

candidate, i think spouses take it much harder. you know, in a way, just as the president said, we're out there and responding minute by minute. and you don't have time to sit around and think about what, you know, some insult that you have felt you have suffered. >> so was the idea to show the nation -- we're over it, we're friends. they were really very genuinely chatty and charmy. >> that's the whole idea. i think it took a while, you know, for bill to come around and he did a great job of helping barack. this is a thank you to him and his wife. and that -- and i think if you can't underestimate how much of that is at play. >> they are both playing with a good amount of good will. also using that to rub off on each other. benefits both to be seen with the other. >> she wants to make herself look presidential again. if i had won, i would have made these decisions.

but what would a hillary president have looked like? >> stop talking about 2016, everybody. >> this follows a week when joe biden essentially all but announced he was running. meeting people from new hampshire and iowa all week. you listen carefully to what mrs. clinton said, her answer was qualitatively different than it was in the past. in october, she was asked if she was running, she said, no, i'm not. she says no one knows. no one can make predictions. >> the question we have to leave with is this. what was joe biden saying last night? >> instant camera on him. his reaction to this interview. >> still ahead, talk from the folks from volkswagen. we have it exclusively. tim mahoney, chief product and marketing officer. how they picked this ad and it's really good. that's ahead. ♪ my friends are all around me

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while you were sleeping, the san francisco 49ers arrived in new orleans ahead of the big game on sunday. the baltimore ravens will be arriving today. if you love watching the super bowl for the commercials, like me, volkswagen is responsible for some of the most memorable super bowl ads over the last couple of years, like 2011's the force, which featured this little kid, little darth vader, hilarious. ♪ this one. that was about the dog that had dreams of chasing a car. so it worked out so get in shape. this morning we have an exclusive sneak peek at

volkswagen's new ad from the super bowl. this year joining us from volkswagen's headquarters is the chief marketing officer tim mahoney. nice to have you with us. i want to start by revealing the ad. this is exclusive to us. drum roll please, somebody, anybody. here it goes. super bowl ad right here. >> i hate mondays. >> yeah, they're the worst. >> no worry, man. everything will be all right. yeah, man. don't fret, me brother. sticky bun comes soon. yeah, wicked coffee, mr. james. julia, turn the frown the other way around. >> hey, dave, you're from minnesota, right? >> yes, sir, the land of 10,000 lakes. the gopher state. >> so in conclusion, things are pretty dismal. >> you know what this room needs? a smile. who want to come with i?

♪ traveling along there's a song that we're singing ♪ ♪ come on get happy >> you guys are three minutes late. >> don't be no cloud on a sunny day. >> yeah, chill, winstock. >> excuse me? ♪ we'll make you happy >> that's the power of german engineering. >> thanks for showing us that, tim. thanks for giving us the exclusive on that. walk me through why you pick that as the big ad that you'll be revealing on super bowl sunday. >> sure. i can tell you, when we think of super bowl advertising, we, first and foremost, want to do great vw advertising. that is important for these timts because vw is a brand that can really put a smile on your face. i think it does that at the end. >> you take some risks, right? you start with a white guy and the jamaican accent. people in the past have had some challenges. the name jar jar binks comes to

mind. i have to say that i love it. my first take at the beginning was like hmm with the jamaican accent. >> sure. we obviously did our homework to make sure we weren't offensive. so we did some research to make sure we weren't going into a direction we didn't want to go. and the ad tested incredibly well. actually relative to previous ones that you showed earlier in the segment. and at the end of the day, vw is a brand that everybody has a story about, and quite often those stories put a smile on their face. that's really what we were trying to achieve. the tag line is the power of german engineering. we think having a smile is part of that power. >> i'm always struck by ads. i watch that ad, and it made me want to go to jamaica. it didn't make me think about driving at all. what's the connection between that and driving? >> sure. well, you know, we all -- a lot of us work in office environments, and he talks about mondays. today's a monday morning. it's raining here in virginia this morning. that sort of drudgery sometimes of going through the office.

this character in the spot named dave has a different kind of take on life, and the transformative moment is the fact that he drives a vw. and when he exposes other people to that experience, it changes their disposition too. so that's really the turning point, if you will, in the spot. >> the ad cost $7.6 million to run it on super bowl sunday. it will be interesting. you have a question? >> i want to be a one person jamaican focus group here. i was born in jamaica. i was wondering, did you testt with any actual jamaicans? although i love you using jimmy cliff, a famous jamaican performer, the jamaican accent had a jar jar binks attitude. and anyone who saw "cool runnings" understands that. >> we talked to several

jamaicans, and we had a speech coach to make sure it was authent authentic. we collaborated with jimmy on the spot. we took someone who's a legend in music, which is jimmy cliff, and we tapped into the popular culture with the partridge family song, "come on get happy." for me, it's a great matchup, if you look at the teaser we did, we're sampling out of the social media space, playing off the idea, people may not be so happy these days, but we're a place and a brand you can come and actually be happy. >> tim mahoney is the chief marketing officer. i didn't know you were jamaican, number one. number two, at the end with the payoff, do you like it or not? >> i like jimmy cliff. i always have a problem with jamaican accents that are superimposed on other people. >> the it the quality of the accent. >> it's not the quality of the accent. it's the fact the accent was coming out of people who seemingly were not supposed to be from jamaica.

it's done as a joke. >> i don't like it at all. it's like black face with voices. i don't like that. >> we'll talk about it more after the commercial break. the ipad, is there a new one in the works? a lot of buzz, the ipad 4 trending. also, "the walking dead's" third season is about to come back to amc. meet the 5-passenger ford c-max hybrid. when you're carrying a lot of weight, c-max has a nice little trait, you see, c-max helps you load your freight, with its foot-activated lift gate.

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good morning, everybody. the nightclub inferno. this morning funerals are beginning for hundreds of people killed in a fire in a packed brazilian nightclub. and questions today, were the

exits blocked? plus a call to arms from a sheriff. he's asking everyone to learn to use a gun. when using your credit card will cost more. we're not talking about interest rates. i'll explain. and a mother and baby trapped in flood waters. this is amazing video. we'll show you how they were rescued coming up. president clinton's former white house chief of staff, thomas mccarty is with us, david clark jr., and the star of "the walking dead" david morrissey will join us. "starting point" begins right now. welcome, everybody. our starting point this morning is funerals now beginning for some who were killed in that horrific fire that took place in a brazilian nightclub, as we learn that nearly half of the 231 victims were students all from the same university, all who were celebrating the last weekend of summer break. here's the latest from santa

maria in brazil. >> reporter: soledad, i'm just a few steps from where this tragedy happened early sunday morning. standing here looking at it, you can begin to get an idea of how it happened. this is an establishment that's packed between two buildings. there were no side exits, no exit out the back door. there's one very narrow exit out the front. in fact, when firemen showed up, they had to break holes in the walls. there weren't any windows. they had to break through the lateral walls by going through the other buildings. it's clear they just didn't have the emergency procedures in place to save these people. now, it was a very different theme early sunday morning. smoke filled the air when the first firefighters entered the nightclub, where shirtless men were already trying to rescue some of the injured. emergency vehicles arrived, not realizing the extent of the tragedy they faced. chaos and terror among survivors, and the bodies of victims all around. the fire broke out at about 2:00 in the morning at a nightclub

called kiss in santa maria in brazil's southernmost state. the club was packed with some 2,000 people, twice its legal capacity, according to officials. >> translator: people who were inside the facility informed us that, when they came out, that security guards blocked the exit to prevent people there from leaving, and that's when the crowd started panicking, and the tragedy grew worse. >> reporter: people who were inside told us, when they came out, security guards blocked exits to prevent people from leaving, he says. that's when the crowd started panicking. this is santa maria's local gymnasium, but it's been turned into a makeshift morgue. there are more than 100 bodies here. hundreds of families have come together trying to locate and identify their relatives, who were, of course, young people in their late teens, early 20s. they died of asphyxiation, and some of them were even trampled to death. as the coffins for the many victims were lined up, investigators searched for the cause of the fire, which tore through the soundproofing

insulation in the roof. brazilian president dilma rousef cut short a conference in chile and headed back to oversee the tragedy. it was the last chance to party for many young people due back at school or work on monday. today, of course, families are holding funerals for the victims and beginning the burial. soledad? >> that was shasta for us this morning. also, the president, barely a week into his second term, and it has been a busy one. you sat down with a joint interview, very rare joint interview on "60 minutes" with his outgoing secretary of state hillary clinton. you remember they were bitter rivals. they did seem to enjoy sitting next to each other, giving compliments to each other. today the president will meet with police chiefs across the

country to talk about gun violence, and then he'll launch his nicimmigration initiative, he's even been talking about football. brianna keilar is live at the white house with more. >> reporter: president obama said he wanted to thank secretary clinton as she gets ready to leave the state department. the two of them appeared to have genuine affection for each other through this interview as they talked about their rivalry, yes, and also 2016. president obama and outgoing secretary of state hillary clinton, once bitter rivals, now allies, together for an interview with cbs' "60 minutes." >> i consider hillary a strong friend. >> very warm, close. i think there's a sense of understanding that sometimes doesn't even take words because we have similar views. >> reporter: rewind five years to their bruising primary battle. >> you're likable enough,

hillary. >> i'm here. he's not. >> how long did it take you to get over that? >> it didn't take as long as people perceive it. >> reporter: it took longer for their staffs. not to mention -- >> i think spouses take it much harder. >> no doubt about that. >> reporter: 2016 came up. the president laughed off a question about endorsing clinton. >> and i was literally inaugurated four days ago, and you're talking about elections four years from now. >> reporter: and the secretary sidestepped. >> i don't think either he or i can make predictions about what's going to happen tomorrow or the next year. >> reporter: clinton, who recently suffered a concussion and a blood clot and has been wearing glasses for double vision, answered a question about her health. >> it's great. it's great. i still have lingering effects from falling on my head and having the blood clot, but the doctors tell me that will all recede. so thankfully, i'm looking forward to being at full speed.

>> reporter: also this weekend, an interview the president did with the new republic was published. we learned some new things. he talked about politics here in washington, but he also talked about other things like football and some of the repetitive concussions that have caused lasting injuries. soledad, he said, i'm a big football fan, but i have to tell you, if i had a son, i'd have to think long and hard before i let him play football. i think that those of us who love the sport are going to have to wrestle with the fact that it will probably change gradually to try to reduce some of the violence. soledad, he was also asked about gun violence. he was asked if he ever shot a gun, and he said yes. he said, with his guests at camp david, he goes skeet shooting all the time. that's something new we hadn't known. >> it was interesting that he said his girls don't, but he has guests up and does skeet shooting. thank you, brianna keilar. just a few moments, we're going to talk to thomas "mack" mclarty, the former white house

chief of staff. first columnist for theblaze.com, and glenn beck tv. >> it's called the blaze. we covered it. >> will cain. charles blow is a cnn contributor. charles farley is an editorial director. "early start" co-anchor john berman sticks around with us this morning. let's start with you, john, and then we'll get to other stories. we'll begin with breaking news out of the great britain. a british airways flight from houston headed to heathrow had to make an emergency landing in wales. there was a technical problem. we're still getting details on exactly what went wrong. we'll bring you those as soon as they come into us. we have new information out of egypt as violence rages there. a state run newspaper says a young man has died after getting hit with bird shot near tahrir square, this as egypt's president mohamed morsi declares a limited state of emergency because of the recent violence and suggests more action is possible. he has imposed a 30-day curfew

in three cities along the suez canal where protests have broken out since friday. morsi has invited 11 political party members to meet today to talk about problems in egypt, as opposed to expressing anger. you're looking at express anger right now. going to be snowy, icy rain, just plain sloppy during the commute for millions of americans this morning. this is a live look at the nation's capital. not as pretty as it looks because the ice is headed north and could bring snow, freezing rain, and sleet to the northeast, including new york, philadelphia, and washington, d.c. snow and ice shut down runways in salt lake city for the second time in a week yesterday, and 200 flights were cancelled at o'hare in chicago. soledad? >> john, thanks. that joint interview, let's talk about that again. president obama and secretary of state hillary clinton, happened last night on "60 minutes." they seemed very, very, very chummy. all toyou have to do is go back four years to see how much the

disliked each other. >> tactics right out of karl rove's playbook. shame on you, barack obama. >> shame on her. she knows better. she's talking like she's annie oakley. >> maybe we should ask barack if he's comfortable and needs another pillow. >> while i was working out on the streets, you were a board member for walmart. >> i forgot how ugly that was. they go way back. knew each other from kindergarten, if i'm not mistaken. they genuinely, sir, seemed very warm as they sat down together for what was an incredibly rare interview, the two of them sitting there together. they genuinely seemed to really dislike each other four years ago. what has worked over the last four years. >> i think times have changed and their positions have changed, and politics is a contact sport. it was a very, very tough campaign between senator clinton and senator obama, as you portrayed in those past clips. however, i think the genuineness

of their relationship came through in that interview. there clearly was regard and respect by both. they worked together. i think they've had an extraordinary run at it in terms of foreign policy. i think secretary clinton has supported the president. i think that's reestablished our standing around the world. i think they managed an exceedingly complex, fast moving and difficult situations in a very skilled manner. i think she gets high marks, soledad, both from republicans and democrats, and from the american people and internationally. >> so she talked about how hard it is on the spouse, and he talked about how hard it is on the staff. so i guess my question would be is bill clinton kind of over it? you've known him since you were 5 years old. he's been very supportive of president obama. critical, i think it's fair to say, but has he also moved on? or is the spouse always struggling? >> i think both made good points in terms of the spouse and the staff. i think that's understandable and true. but i think you have to go to president clinton's speech in charlotte, which i think was a pivotal moment in the obama

re-election campaign. that was a powerful speech making the case for the president's re-election. so i think the answer is he's very proud of secretary clinton's tenure, of his wife's tenure as secretary of state. that comes through repeatedly. but i think he's very supportive and really in line with the president and much what he's trying to do in his second term, building on the first term. >> in that speech, he really did define -- >> he made the case. >> maybe he did and for democrats as well. i guess the dilemma for 2016 is who do you -- you're already laughing, and i haven't even said the question yet. >> just chuckling. not laughing. >> the rumor for 2016, if you, indeed, have the vice president throwing his name into the ring, and you have hillary clinton, despite all the demurring on that, that she also tries to run for the presidency, what does the president do? >> he probably stays neutral certainly during the primaries. i think that's been the standard for any sitting president. and, look, it's a long time.

four years is a long time. >> it's no time at all, sir. you know that. >> it does. >> i'll tell you that. >> but i think also secretary clinton doesn't have to make a decision. as the president noted last night, she's been a world figure. she has tremendous name recognition, tremendous standing. right now she needs to take some time for rest, reflection, and renewal. she's going to do that. i think she'll make decisions as they become timely before her. do i think she would make a very outstanding president? yes, i do. i think she's eminently qualified and highly respected. >> if she says, yes, i am going to run, the president does what? he endorses her? he endorses the vice president? >> i don't know. i can't speculate too much about the president. certainly can't speak for him. i think a president, normal sitting president will stay neutral. i mean, he's put vice president biden on the point in terms of some of these negotiations. and there may well be some other

very well qualified candidates on the democratic side, certainly on the republican side. it really is a little too far out to speculate. i think the president really probably most likely stays neutral. he's got a full plate ahead of him. right now he's probably concentrating on that. >> nice to have you with us this morning. we appreciate your time. >> my pleasure. thank you. >> ahead, a new bipartisan plan is being announced for sweeping immigration reform. does it have a chance to get passed? if there was a pill

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gun. milwaukee sheriff david clark jr. says you can't rely on law enforcement officials because of cutbacks. there's a new radio ad, and some people find it very surprising. here's a part of it. >> with officers furloughs, simply calling 911 and waiting is no longer your best option. you could beg for mercy from a violent criminal, hide under the bed, but you could fight back. are you prepared? consider taking a gun safety workshop so you can defend yourself until we can get there. >> wow. thank you for joining us, sheriff clarke. we appreciate your time. what's the goal of this? is it to scare people? is it to get everybody to run out and buy a gun? >> good morning, first of all. the only thing that's scary is the criminal element, and i think the people in milwaukee county understand that. there are certain situations -- and i think most people get that -- where 911 is going to be of no use. for instance, once the wolf is at the door, once the intruder

is inside your home, once you're on the street and someone sticks a gun in your face to take your car or your wallet, you don't have the option of calling 911. in those situations, there are certain things you can do to protect yourself. it's a public safety message, and i'm just here to let the people know, give them the information as to what's going on, and to give them options, if you will, as to how to defend themselves in those situations. >> give me some details about the area that you're in charge of. you talked about furlough. how many officers do you have, deputie deputies, do you have? how many have been furloughed? how much crime have you had? >> i have about 350 sworn law enforcement officers, and last year with the budget cut, i had to lay off 42 people. the city of milwaukee police department that i work with, in conjunction with them anyway for public safety in milwaukee county, this year is furloughing

1,500 officers three days each. that's 4,500 fewer officer days that will be spent on the street. at the same time, the crime continues to go on. there's a burglary and robbery problem that's been going on for a long time in the city of milwaukee, and the calls for service continue to get in. at some point there is a breaking point. so there are certain situations, and i talked about inside your home or if you're on the street. this is something that i've been doing for 35 years in terms of educating people as to what they can do in certain situations. and i said at the end of that ad, we're partners now. we're always out there telling the public we want to be your partner. we want to work with you. we want you to work with us. we never define a role for them, and that's what this does. >> i know so many sheriffs and law enforcement officials who say one of the things that is most risky for their deputies and for their officers is civilians who are armed and not necessarily well trained, certainly as much as they are, to be using a weapon.

here's what the police chief in chicago said. you put more guns on the street, expect more shootings. i don't care if they're licensed, legal firearms. people who are not highly trained, putting guns in their hands is a recipe for disaster. he's not the only one i heard that from. there are people in law enforcement who feel like that's actually bad for the officers to have civilians who are armed. >> that's fine. that's his opinion. he's in charge of the city of chicago as it relates to public safety. i trust law abiding citizens. the people who scare me are the criminal elements, the ones who have demonstrated time and time again that they will use a firearm to commit a crime. those are the people that law enforcement officers fear the most. that's why i mention in this ad, if you're going to arm yourself, if you're going to own a firearm -- and the firearms are out there anyway. last estimate i've heard, 300 million guns in circulation in the united states and 115 million gun owners in the united states. we're not putting any more guns

on the street. the guns are already there. my message is for law abiding citizens in certain situations, not to go out and enforce the law, inside your home when the wolf's at the door and the intruder comes in or someone sticks a gun in your face when you're on the street to protect the property, there's certain things you can and should do to protect yourself. it's always been my belief that personal safety is an individual responsibility. >> sheriff david clarke jr. is a milwaukee county sheriff. nice to have you with us, sir. appreciate your time. >> a psa for not cutting law enforcement. if you have your druthers -- even what he's saying, it's mostly because of cutbacks in actual police being able to do the job. now you're deferring the responsibility to people who are not trained as much. even if you go out and get trained, using it in a real situation becomes a very different thing, and it has a

cost associated because gun violence has its own cost. it is extraordinarily high. >> it's a serious issue, but it's a very dramatic ad. i thought it was an ad about the last stand too, in terms of the way he was talking about things and the drama in his voice. it seemed very, very dramatic. >> later this week, anderson is going to be talking about gun control, talking to both sides in the debate, "guns under fire," an ac 360 town hall special. still ahead on "starting point," trending this morning, adele's father is speaking out after selling a story. come on, dad. selling a story about his daughter. a new belt. some nylons. and what girl wouldn't need new shoes? and with all the points i've been earning, i was able to get us a flight to our favorite climbing spot even on a holiday weekend. ♪ things are definitely looking up. [ male announcer ] with no blackout dates, you can use your citi thankyou points to travel whenever you want.

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welcome back. taking a look at the top cnn trending stories. adele's father selling a story about his daughter to the daily mail. he tells the paper he's tried to reach out to adele with no success. he's not allowed to see his grandson. i'm going to give you a clue why. evan says he won't watch the oscars even though he knows adele will win for herbond theme "skyfall." talking to the daily mail will not win any of this. now the ipad 4 fortified

with more memory could be the next big thing. according to sources, it wouldn't be a new apple design, but in addition to the current line, same color, same wireless combinations as the current ipad. still ahead on "starting point," some breaking news about that deadly club fire in brazil. apparently, arrests now being made. we'll tell you who's been held and also what could be a breakthrough in immigration reform. we're going to talk to illinois congressman luis gutierrez about this new bipartisan proposal. what? [ male announcer ] alka-seltzer plus severe cold and flu fights your worst flu symptoms, plus that cough. [ sighs ] thanks!... [ male announcer ] you're welcome. that's the cold truth!

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i can't believe your mom let you take her car out.ck! this is awesome! whoooo! you're crazy. go faster! go faster! go faster! go faster! no! stop...stop... (mom) i raised my son to be careful...

hi, sweetie. hi, mom. (mom) but just to be safe... i got a subaru. (announcer) love. it's what makes a subaru a subaru. has oats that can help lower cholesterol? and it tastes good? sure does! wow. it's the honey, it makes it taste so... well, would you look at the time... what's the rush? be happy. be healthy. welcome back, everybody. breaking news to start with. this just into the cnn newsroom. one of the club owners of club kiss, also a band member playing at that club, have been arrested in connection with the brazil nightclub inferno. this morning, as we've been reporting, the funerals will begin for some of those kills in that horrific fire. nearly half of the 231 victims

were students from the same university. they were all sem arbitrating their last weekend of summer break. when you look at this, some of the details from this fire, it's really too early. a full investigation hasn't been done. did they block the doors? were there exit signs up? the policy of having people pay before they leave, there's word that the doormen wouldn't let people out. they didn't want them to not pay as they were running for their lives. >> it's so early to figure out what exactly happened here. we have to wait for the investigation to be done. all we know is unfortunately it's going to happen again unless some steps are taken. it's happened all over the world. happened in russia, happened in china, happened in rhode island. >> unwione of those steps -- it tricky thing -- it's every parents' nightmare. as an older man, you walk in and say, oh, my god, it's crowded. i'm getting out of here. a kid walks in and says, oh, my god, it's crowded. i'm staying. >> how did they not notice there

were lighted exit signs? if that turns out to be the case. someone should be in charge of a club for 1,000 people cannot hold 2,000 people. >> it's also not an airplane. they don't come out and say, in case of emergency, the exits are here and here and here and here. nobody knows where the exits are. everybody is in there. you're drinking. >> after the station nightclub fire, before they start a performance, they say, so everybody knows, the exit's there, and the exit's there, and it's over there. >> important to remember, these are students. students make plans to get into a nightclub, not to go out. people figure out how to sneak in and see their shows and not worry about leaving. to put it on them figuring out where the exits are, that's never going to happen. >> that's not putting it on them. it's both. the fire marshals have to do their part. you're right. older people do this. we scan for exits and figure out, wow, this feels like a lot of people. certainly, in santa maria. >> might want to think about not lighting a flare on stage. >> pyrotechnics in small rooms.

>> maybe not set the blplace on fire. also talking about immigration. the sweeping new proposal to reform the nation's immigration system from top to bottom is going to be revealed. it's scheduled in a news conference. a group of eight, four democrats, charles schumer, dick durbin, and republicans include john mccain and marco rubio. it includes pathway to citizenship provided the borders are secured. reforming the current system to attract the best and brightest. an employment verification system. improving the process for admitting workers in the future. all four of those things could be a huge stumbling block. it comes one day before the president himself announces his own immigration proposal. spoke earlier with congressman luis gutierrez, a democrat from illinois. and congressman mario diaz-balart, a republican from the state of florida. here's what he said. congressman, gutierrez, i'm going to begin with you if i can. you met with the president on friday. did he know this was coming?

of that list that we've talked about, points that are likely in this proposal, what do you think is the biggest sticking point? >> well, look, he did know, and the important thing of friday's meeting, quite honestly, is that the president said he's going to make this his top priority, his number one priority. just so we have it clear, english is my first language. that's what he said. and i think that that's an exciting development that he's going to make it his top priority. what could be something that might cause us some problems along the way but not anything insurmountable? what's the road to citizenship? >> you say it's not going to be a problem, but historically that's been a huge sticking point. i see in the proposal they're sort of separate categories for kids brought by their parents, separate category for people working in the food service industry. that has actually been a very tough challenge in the past. how do you see it working, a proposal that everyone can agree on? is >> well, here's what i think. look, we have my colleague and

my friend, congressman diaz-balart. he and i have been talking. we've been working together. i've spoken to all of the senators that are involved in the preparation of this proposal. look, it's a work in progress. you ask me what a sticking point is, i try to give you my best response, but i think we're going to be able to overcome it because i think there's a real urgency to this matter. in the end, soled da, they're going to become american citizens one way or another. it's a question of when it's going to be. i'd rather do it at the front end because, from my perspective, i want the undocumented to integrate themselves, to make a commitment, and to have to fulfill all the responsibilities that you and i have to fulfill as american citizens. i think that's what makes our country strong and fair at the same time. >> so then let's turn to congressman diaz-balart. nice to talk to you, sir. where do you think republicans will have a hard time with the proposal that has been sort of sketched out and will be presented later?

>> look, if this was an easy lift, it would have been done a long time ago. here's the good news. the good news is, like my friend and colleague said, a number of us have been working on it for years. we've been trying to get through the details. we've been hammering out what has to be fix. what has to be fixed is rather extensive. whether it's border security, whether it's internal security, whether it's a process where people can actually actually come to the united states -- all of it is broken, and all of it has to be fixed. it's been a very difficult process. the good news is there's been so much work done. and i'll tell you, one of the things i'm most proud of is working with my colleagues. we've been able to do it quietly, seriously, not to take credit, but to try to solve this broken problem. >> this tone of conciliatory nature, i'm not sure i can handle it this early in the morning, gentlemen. let me ask you another question, congressman diaz-balart. one of the problems has been

rhetoric. it was governor romney that talked about self-deportation, making conditions so bad people would want to leave. it was michele bachmann talking about it could be done, dragging parents off the bus and the kids crying. herman cain talking about the electrified fence. john mccain said this over the weekend about the last election. listen. >> look at the last election. look at the last election. we are losing dramatically the hispanic vote, which we think should be ours for a variety of reaso reasons, and we've got to understand that. second of all, we can't go on forever with 11 million people living in this country in the shadows in an illegal status. we cannot forever have children who were born here, who were brought here by their parents when they were small children to live in the shadows as well. >> can this proposal go a way to fixing policy issues. can it fix those tone issues the gop has clearly struggled with?

>> that's been a big part of the problem. look, i will tell you, both parties have used this issue for years as a political weapon. it's where it's really loved the democrats. it's obviously been disastrous for the republicans. but congressman gutierrez and i and this group of us working for years have been less frankly concerned about the politics. we've been concerned about solving the problem. what we've never had is the moment, the right moment where everybody has come together and said, you know, it's time for the real work to begin. we think the time -- we thought the time was years ago. we hope that now -- we hope that the president tomorrow will have a conciliatory type of attitude. we've seen the speaker has said he wants to get it done. we've seen the minority leader says they want to get it done. here's the good news. a group of us have been ready for years. we've worked out most of the complicated details. the devil is in the details. we've dealt with that devil. now it's an issue of filing legislation and hopefully get it passed. >> congressman gutierrez, i'm out of time, but i want to ask

you a super fast question. when do you think we have new immigration law? give me a date. >> i think we're going to get it done and get it done real quickly. i'm certainly hopeful we can get it done by the end of the summer. >> congressman luis gutierrez, congressman diaz-balart, thanks for joining me. tired of all those fees associated with your credit card? get ready for more. we'll tell you why. also, "the walking dead's" third season is about to return. i tried weight loss plans... but their shakes aren't always made for people with diabetes. that's why there's glucerna hunger smart shakes. they have carb steady, with carbs that digest slowly to help minimize blood sugar spikes. and they have six grams of sugars. with fifteen grams of protein to help manage hunger... look who's getting smart about her weight. [ male announcer ] glucerna hunger smart. a smart way to help manage hunger and diabetes.

welcome back to "starting point," i'm christine romans. the dow is up 700 points, or more than 6% this year. a huge rally for stocks, but not apple. america's most beloved tech stock lost 13% this week. apple is down 30% from it's all time high in september. toyota has passed general motors as the world's largest automaker. they sold 7.5 million automobiles last year, helped by sales of heavy duty trucks and buses, a sale down played by gm in the u.s. searching for a new credit card? watch out for checkout fees. they can begin charging you a fee when you use plastic. this is a dispute in a settlement between credit card issuers and merchants. retailers have the option of

charging a surcharge for processing costs. those costs run 1.5% to 3% on the purchase price. it does not include new york, california, and texas. it's illegal in those states. and it doesn't apply to debit card purchases. it's unclear how many retailers are going to go ahead and charge it. retailers are concerned, if they try to pass that charge on, it will really make people mad. >> haven't you had people pass that charge on to you? i have. if you use that credit card, i've got to tell you, i've got to pay. especially with american express. >> starting sunday, there's a new charge they'll be able to pass on. >> i guess it depends how much you really want something. >> walk around with a suitcase full of cash. >> yes, exactly. >> cash, what's that? >> gold bullion. it's one of the biggest shows on cable. "the walking dead" with a scoop

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welcome back to "starting point," everyone. we have heart pounding video out of australia. a dangerous wall of fast rising flood waters trapped a young child and two women inside their truck. now what you're about to see is amazing here. they have no choice but to stuff a child with them into a waterproof duffel bag that rescuers used to lift the child to safety. you can see it right there. then they lifted the adults there. there have been several reported dead and injured in that region. >> can you imagine being a mother who zips her kid into a duffel bag in order to save his life? holy cow. >> they did it so quickly. the presence of mind to do that

is so extraordinary. we have reports overnight that chris brown was involved in another brawl, this time with singer and current grammy nominee. >> this is not real. >> frank ocean. tmz says police were called to the scene at westlake studio in los angeles, where brown had a run-in with ocean's people. tmz says no one was arrested. >> that's been your rapper update. in other news. now for other news, president obama getting a very special visitor on the night of his inauguration, the ghost of dr. martin luther king. this happened on "saturday night live." apparently, he was dreaming of beyonce. >> the king, she was there to sing our national anthem. >> was she though? "access hollywood" would beg to differ. >> "access hollywood"? >> and they said she was lip syncing, and i was like and i care why? hash tag, jay-z is one lucky man. >> beyonce may be finally addressing the lip synching

sandal on instagram. she posed with a sweatshirt that said, can i live? everyone is trying to interpret what she means. >> i'm glad this mystery is going to be solved, and we're going to get to the bottom of it. not. >> did you say the chris brown fight happened at tmz? hollywood scandal streamlining their efficiencies. >> the chris brown-frank ocean brawl. that's what you're asking for details on. oh, my goodness. let's talk a little bit about "the walking dead." i guess it was 10 million people who watched the premiere of season 3, amc. and you have the second half of the premiere, you have two parts in the second week of february. it chronicles a world overrun by zombi zombies, and the actor david morrissey plays the governor. he's kind of a cult-like figure leading some of these survivors

to what he all along the way is claiming is a safe and secure location. here's a little bit. >> i'm afraid the terrorists who want what we have, want to destroy us, and worse. one of those terrorists is one of our own. >> wow. the accent is so good. david morrissey is with us this morning. >> not looking my best there, was i? slightly worse for wear. been through it. >> why do you think a show about zombies is so wildly -- and i mean wildly -- popular? >> i think it's to do with it can focus our imagination to be in sort of a place with that type of danger. we like to be scared, don't we? i think that's the big thing. it's a bigger show than the zombies. it's about survival, human survival. it's about what we will go through. it's interesting showing that

australian clip about what we will do in times of crisis. we never know ourselves until we're tested. we like to think of ourselves. >> tested all the time in this show. >> i watch "walking dead." that's exactly why i watch it. i would imagine some watch it for the many opportunities they have to kill zombieses or put themselves in that situation. it's essentially "lord of the flies." it's what happens if we're expected to start over from scratch. how would you react? >> are you good or bad? >> good or bad to whom? he's somebody who's really -- i think he's trying to protect his people, but safety comes at a cost. he manipulates his people by always telling them how dangerous it is out there. if they stay with him, he can protect them, but out there is a dangerous place. i think all leaders have used that manipulation of their populous quite a lot. >> do you think the market is becoming overburdened with zombie movies and features? >> i don't watch anybody else. >> and neither do we, david. >> we've got world war "z" coming out with the running dead. worried about anybody competing

with you? >> i don't watch anybody else. i watch our shows. the proof is in the figures the people are watching us, and it works. i think it's because the zombies aren't front and center of our show. "the walking dead" is about the people there trying to survive. i think that's something that's really ringing a bell with people right now. >> is it physically demanding? >> yes, it is. >> you look at some of these scenes. that's you. you don't have stunt doubles coming in to do that stuff. describe how -- a lot of fighting. >> it's interesting. you get down there. the heat and humidity is the big thing. you're working 14, 16-hour days, and it's very hot down there. even at nighttime, it can be very, very hot. >> it's not the zombies, it's the humidity. that's what i say. >> and it's the snakes and the ticks and the bugs and stuff like that. >> you're a delicate flower. >> not to mention the other cast. it's quite full on. i love it. it's a great show to do. >> where is it filmed again? >> just outside georgia. >> i'm from louisiana. that's like canada. we're much hotter than that. >> so february 10th will be the

second half of season 3. when did they start doing the new seasons but broken up? >> i don't know about that. i was surprised. of course, it doesn't affect us. we just film it straight off. we don't get a break in the middle of it. if only we did, that would be great. we're straight on. >> you're complaining a lot today. >> we go straight. >> it's hot. it's muggy. there are ticks. >> i love it. it's great. it's what we do. >> give us some spoilers. tell us what we can look forward to. >> i can't do that. they lock me in a room with two walkers if i give away anything. it carries on in the vein we've been going through. it's a really can roing show. carry on. >> do you read the script? this show kills off a lot of people. i think also now writers or show runners are much more willing to kill off main characters when years ago you never kill off -- the main character was the only one you knew would survive. do you read the script and think, let me make sure i'm still in the end of this. >> when you get the script, you don't know beforehand. that adds to the show certainly from the viewer's point of view.

they know that no one's safe. they love the characters. go to bat for them. >> play the scary music. david morrissey, the second half of season 3 is on february 10th on amc. nice to have you with us. appreciate it. i spend long hours with her checking her heart rate, administering her medication, and just making her comfortable. one night britta told me about a tradition in denmark, "when a person dies," she said, "someone must open the window so the soul can depart." i smiled and squeezed her hand. "not tonight, britta. not tonight." [ female announcer ] to nurses everywhere, thank you, from johnson & johnson. ♪ let's go. ♪ ♪ ♪

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we end as always with "end point." who wants to start? christopher, why don't you take it for me? >> can i reflect what i've learned from this episode? >> of course. as a jamaican-american on our air today. >> the interviews are great. seeing barack obama and hillary clinton together being